So here’s a whole mess of stills from the upcoming KBS drama Dream High, which is probably most known because it’s the collaboration of actor-mini-mogul Bae Yong-joon and kpop producer/svengali Park Jin-young, and stars lots of young idol stars.
It’s for those three reasons that I’ve been pretty leery of the drama, not because I hate kpop (I do like it, promise!) but because I feel like it’s hard enough to get dramas right when the production is in the hands of people who are experts at it. When you throw a bunch of people in there who are totally green and not experienced in this world, it’s a crapshoot at best. But even so, I still want to hope for the best, because I have a soft spot for high school dramas (there really aren’t enough of those — at least not good ones) and youthful exuberance. And I do kinda like that you can take the title as a noun and a verb (as in, high school of dreams and “Dream high!”).
And hey, I love impressive rising talent Kim Soo-hyun (Giant, Will It Snow For Christmas), who’s the only actor of the young crew who’s just an actor (as in, not a pop idol). He’s got tons of talent and great presence onscreen, and plays a character who lives in a tiny town with his mother. When he encounters a Seoul girl (Hye-mi) one day, he falls for her at first sight and does everything for her, which leads him to the Kirin Arts School where he discovers his own musical talent.
I have no prior knowledge of Suzy from Miss A, and her performance will probably make-or-break the drama, because she’s got the lead role (along with Kim Soo-hyun and Taecyeon). She plays Hye-mi, a girl who’s used to being the best at everything though she’s also got a rude personality. But when her father’s business fails, she has to give up her vocal training and decides to pursue auditions at Kirin to become a pop singer, a path she’d previously eschewed as crude and shallow.
I thought 2PM’s Taecyeon did a decent job in Cinderella’s Sister; he has a tendency to come off a little smug, but his energy and vitality went a long way. His character here was given up to an orphanage as a young boy by his single mother. He was then adopted by his paternal grandfather, who is a rich businessman and CEO, but he was practically invisible in that household. His character takes a new name as he leaves that family and starts a new life; now he dances with friends on the street, and happens upon the auditions for Kirin Arts School.
I’m iffier on T-ara’s Eunjung, whose performance in Coffee House was sometimes shaky; she often overdid the dumb cute act, but the girl can really cry on cue. She plays Hye-mi’s sidekick, who’s content to always be her No. 2, who’s often ignored by those around her, even her own mother. When Hye-mi gives up dreams of Juilliard and aims for Kirin instead, she follows along, and it’s only then that she starts to dream for herself.
Another name I’m not familiar with is Wooyoung, who plays Jason, who comes back to Korea after living in the States. He’s got perfect singing and dancing talent (enough to earn him the descriptor ‘genius’), but no interest in competing with others; he just enjoys music.
Singer IU rounds out the main cast as a girl who, appropriately enough, possesses impressive vocal skills. Bright, pretty, and sensitive, she seems like the type who’ll be easy to love. Example: Once at a Kim Hyun-joong concert, he shouted, “Victory!” Mistaking the word (pil-seung) for her own name, Pil-sook dashed onstage, making her a legend among fans. She falls for Jason right away.
The adult cast features actors like Eom Ki-joon and Lee Yoon-ji as teachers at Kirin.
Dream High is slated for 16 episodes and takes up the Monday-Tuesday timeslot on KBS following the current series Mary Stayed Out All Night. It premieres January 3.
RELATED POSTS
- Lee Yoon-ji joins idol-laden cast of Dream High
- Kim Soo-hyun signs on as Dream High’s lead
- Kang Hye-jung and Lee Yoon-ji in Proof
- Dream High scheduled for winter premiere
- Yun-ho gets rescued in Heading to the Ground
- Heading to the Ground’s press conference day
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I’m still a bit apprehensive at how similar this sounds to What’s Up!/Zero and I have an undying loyalty to Im Joo Hwan…. but…
everyone looks so prettyyyy.. Taecyeon… mmmm
SOOO pretty, indeed! I always thought Suzy had this naturally cute charm..and nice legs!
Taecyeon was impressive enough as a idol-turned-actor for me!..I hope the same or atleast better frm Wooyoung..
..BECAUSE HES IS JUST MY ABSOLUTE FAV..SO SO CUTE.
mixed feelings about this one. seems visually entertaining, though, so might give it a shot.
and oooh, i see BYJ doing a cameo? or was he just giving instructions to KHJ during the shoot?
it’s a hot cast. some can sing, some can dance, some can act. let’s hope that through this drama we find out that many of them can do more than one at once. — and i’m saying this as someone who is an avid fangirl of kpop. (:
I can not wait to see this show because of all the gorgeous actors but I am terrified about their acting and the story’s plot.
As a T-ara fanboy, I’m watching this one for Eunjung, no matter how bad it may end up turning out.
Amen TO DAT!!!!!!!!
Eunjung FTW!!!!!
Hey, Real….is there a special reason for your “CZ” in your name?
is Bae Yong-joon the producer or the director? I do agree that there aren’t enough good high school dramas. High school seems like a lifetime ago, but I do like high school dramas (especially the japanese ones) where the romantic relationship isn’t the central story being told and that the story is more abt the kids finding their own paths.
Japanese doramas are better in making high school-themed shows. Although some of them may get redundant and tiring for some time (coughGokusencough), their dramas focus more on friendships, self-discovery, and just life in general (as what you pointed asianromance).
He is producer and in a couple of eps as the head of the school.
Definitely agree, but since k-drama’s strong suit is its romance, I doubt this one will make any different. J-drama is almost always low-key, friendship focuses, less drama than k-drama.
agree…i like high school J-dramas…well goodluck for this drama too..
Hm… I thought Eun jung’s performance was better than Taecyeon in their respective dramas. I agree that Taecyeon appears smug sometimes.
Judging from the stills, I feel like we’re going to get a lot of random show-off music video-like sequences for each of the characters. Which reminds me of “Rui” in Boys before Flowers… his violin playing in the snow… completely random.
I’m interested in seeing how this drama turns out. Most excited about Kim soo-hyun!
I love music, I love kim soo Hyun, I’m SOLD!
I can’t wait to watch this. Kim Soo Hyun FIGHTING!!!! hehe
JUST PRAY THIS DRAMA WILL SURPRISE ME in a good way.
lol….even if they cant act this could be fun to watch for the music and dance (if its good)…plus a young cast could mean lots of energy…so i’ll tune in to see the first eps
at last that kid from will it snow for christmas will have a chance to winning my heart completely . lol i saw the two first episodes of WISFC and i loved him there i hope he brings alot of charisma to the show . on another note taec is just taec , he can be smug but i think it’s because he’s such a dork he tries to shed that image a bit too much . not too crazy about eun jung , really couldn’t stand her in coffee house no matter how much i love kang ji hwan . am crosing my fingers .
KSH looks really handsome with his hairstyle…yummy handsome.
I’m an avid KPop fan, but have never been too keen on idol stars turned actors–at least not in their first few projects. But this seems like a Korean version of the American Step Up movies, which I LOVE! Sure, the acting’s mediocre at best, but the dancing is pure entertainment. Maybe this will be too…*crosses fingers*
P.S.
Wooyoung and Taecyeon fighting! o(^o^)o
I saw the preview for this one after this week’s Marry Me Mary episode. It actually caught my attention and looks interesting. I liked Taecyeon and T-ara’s Eunjung in the past dramas they did this year. Since there are a lot of singer actors/actresses in this drama, the OST will probably be really good.
KSH deserves the lead role after turning in awesome perf as the child version in Giant and WISFC and I hope his castmates help him out.
from the story, this could be really bad or it could be okay.
(I’m watching it anyway being an unashamed 2PM fangirl)
BTW Wooyoung is Taec’s band mate in 2PM and the boy can dance so at least I know he was cast right
im excited for this drama! i liked eunjung in coffee house and being a kpop fan, i love listening to 2pm and IU….KSH was cute in Will It Snow for Xmas so definitely would like to see him more. the only one i’m not sure about is miss a’s suzy….
kim soo hyun looks cute with the perm! this pic: http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm96/javabeans122/drama/2011/dream/dream_11.jpg
would that qualify in your best perm category, javabeans??
i see a resemblance to kim bum but KSH is more angular.KB features are softer.
i don’t have high hopes for this drama, but with Kim Soohyun as the main lead, i am sure it won’t suck too bad. also looking forward to see IU and Wooyong, i am a lil iffy about their acting chops (more so than others), but they actually have great musical talents, which should do more good than bad to this drama. and i, too, have an affinity for high school dramas, especially the sweet and fluffy kind. so yeh, i am quite excited.
Hmm, well since it’s KSH’s first lead role, I’ll watch but I definitely feel apprehensive with such an idol-laden cast. They could surprise me, but I’ll keep my expectations low because I’d rather not be disappointed.
Humm… lots of eye candy and let’s face it, how much worse can it be after Mary Stay Out All Night? For a show following that timeslot, it can only be better.
T-ara’s Eunjung in my book is like
“Yoon Eun-hye” she can do absolutely “no wrong” fell for her in “Coffee House”, so I am locking forward to see her again!!!!
Eunjung FTW!!!!!!!
Edit- I meant ‘Looking’!!
ㅋㅋㅋwil watch but i don’t understand why suzy is the lead. = = eunjuuuung ftw~~~
and why couldn’t they cast yoo seung ho again kekekee jksjks. love it when he’s in hs. or hyomin omg love that girl
a;lkdjf or maybe PARK BO YOUNG?
DD? yayaya? i looove youthful ppl!! (so creepy to think that theyre my age now omg v_v.)
i’m more keen on what’s up though. when is that airing againnn ughh im joo hwan i totally miss youuu.
I honestly do not care about the cast except KIM SOO HYUN!!!!!
wtf? wooyoung is playing a boy who can sing and dance perfectly?!
no offense to the guy he is a pretty slick dancer and all but he cannot sing. at all. period.
and i wished they casted jiyeon from T-ara instead of suzy as the female lead. at least jiyeon has some acting under her belt already.
i’m not expecting alot from this idol-drama
but i will watch the first few episodes for kim soo hyun
In my opinion, Wooyoung is actually not that bad of a singer. Sure, he’s definitely not one of the most amazing vocalists in the kpop scene right now, but from what I’ve seen on live performances on music and radio shows, he can hold a tune pretty decently. He has a really unique tone to his voice that’s really nice to listen to, which I personally prefer over singers with great technique but has a tone of voice that is grating to the ears. I think his biggest problem is that he needs to develop more control over his voice as well as stamina so he wouldn’t sound out of breath whenever he has to sing and dance at the same time. JYP himself said that out of all the 2PM members, Wooyoung has the most potential in developing his dancing and singing skills, and I do believe that he was cast for this “genius” role, instead of the other members or other male idols, for a reason. I think it’s a good chance for him to showcase his amazing dancing, as you mentioned, and also his potential in becoming a better vocalist.
But like others have mentioned, I am a bit apprehensive over the idol-laden cast as well. I’m also confused as to why Suzy got the lead role instead of some other female idol that has tried acting before, like Eunjung. Hopefully Kim Soo Hyun’s acting experience will bring a nice touch to this drama, and that the idols will portray their roles well and surprise us with some decent acting. Also, I really hope that this drama will shed some light onto the hardships that entertainers have to go through rather than focus solely on the glitz and glamour. Just my two cents on things.
OMG YAYYAYYYAY!! so excited… so many good dramas next year ;D
How did Hyun Joong sneak in here? Let’s pray his cameo is short.
I’m also worried about this drama. I liked Eunjung and Taec in their respective dramas this year, but all the others are more than green. Is there a word for that? Yellow? I don’t know.
Also, Wooyoung is in 2PM with Taec. I’m confused as to why he’s playing a “genius.” He is not the strongest singer. But then again, 2PM as a group isn’t known for the killer vocals.
I have reservations about this drama, but I’ll give it a shot. I do love high school drama.
“How did Hyun Joong sneak in here? Let’s pray his cameo is short.”
Amen to that, sister!
Anyone else think they maybe should’ve switched Wooyoung & Taec’s characters, seeing as how Taecyeon actually, you know, speaks English?
Whatever. If it’s cute and energetic and fun I’m down to suspend some disbelief.
The back stories for the characters actually sound really interesting… Hearing those, I actually think I will tune in!!
Two things though:
1) why not give the female lead to the idolette who has already starred in a drama?
2) why not give the english speaking and american character to the actual american???!
Sometimes I wonder about these drama decisions…
i think it’s because jyp is the producer?
and he’s bias..
i did notice how we’ve got two guys from 2pm and a chick from miss A in one drama…
i also thought the same as last_thread up a few comments about how taec is better suited to have spent some time in the states… since he grew up here for a bit… but i’m happy to see wooyoung anyway!
having just gotten into a few kpop groups, i’m excited to see this drama. i don’t really like 2pm’s music.. but they are all so cute, i can’t help watching real 2pm
Definitely looking forward to the show. Hope it captures some God/Master of Study magic from the same timeslot at the same time last year. =]
I’m really excited about this but I have a suspicion it will be crap—- and I agree, Suzy’s acting is going to make or break the drama. I like her enough, but I don’t know that much of her, she’s certainly pretty enough.
FOR SOME REASON I KEEP THINKING OF THE GLORIOUS MESS BOYS OVER FLOWERS WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS DRAMA: hot young cast, some decent actors, disgustingly addictive, but terrible writing
I wished they used more actual actors, but I’m looking forward to seeing IU act, love that girl!
does this mean you will recap this, JB? if so, then ill prob. just read the recaps. I’m not sure if I actually want to watch it.
Will only watch for Kim Soo Hyun!
I’ll watch it for Kim Soo-hyun!
Oh crap. I got this confused with What’s Up (which I am SERIOUSLY looking forward to since seeing the trailer!!) and was stoked to see Taecyon in there. Since it’s this… meh. I’ve been eagerly awaiting Taec’s next drama since I found him incredibly charming in CS. It wasn’t a particularly interesting role but he really did it justice and made the character lovable rather than irritating. Guess I’ll have to tune in for him… potentially this could be a fun watch, though like jb I find the cast of newbie Kpop stars a bit worrisome!
i cant waittttt….. I am wayyyy tooo excited for this drama.
Kim Soo-hyun is cute, but I really like Uhm Ki-joon. I hope he gets to sing in the drama since he’s playing a music teacher and have some screen time . I haven’t liked any of his dramas except for “Kimchi, Cheese, Smile” but that was a sit-com.
Wait, I forgot about Life Special Investigation Team. Okay. I’ve liked 2/5 of his dramas. It’s too bad since he’s good, and I usually enjoy his characters but the dramas bore me. I hope this one will be different.
Eom Ki joon love! Yay! He needs more love!
I enjoyed The World That They Live but Good Job Good Job was a ride straight to hell and I still want to stab something every time I was reminded of it. Such a waste of talent. And aww, no picture of him
i’m just tempted to watch this for the beautiful people in it.
I dread and anticipate the drama at the same time, both because of it’s idol cast. Granted idols are not known for acting skills, but they look great and brings a vibrant energy to the series.
I’m keeping an open mind!
p.s. Will dramabeans recap this series?
She will probably watch first episode and than decide if it´s worth recapping
What’s Kim Hyun Joong doing in it?
he has a guest appearance
Looks too typical and boring…not interested but i ll watch the ep featuring KHJ
♥♥♥
How can anyone be so FREAKINNN’ HOT!
He sure stands out from the rest…Amean look at all the pics…KHJ looks the best!
Agree! He’s so goodlooking!
amen!! i was reading the article, and when i saw his photo at the end of it, my eyes lit up ^^
i would not give this drama the time of day if it did not include kim soo hyun ….if his role is a waste of talent like MSOAN i will be so mad
kind of pissed his lead role drama has his screen time being spilt up with idol actors …though ive always liked suzy she looks a lot like jung so min
I liked Kim Soo-hyun’s performance in WISFC and I thought that Eunjung was cute in Coffee House. I think both have a lot of potential so I can’t wait to see how they portray their characters on Dream High!
The cast seems pretty interesting with all the newbies. I’m especially curious to see Wooyoung in the drama, I think he’s talented as a singer so I wonder how he’ll do in acting…
A drama with lots of pretty people…here’s to hope they act as pretty. Thank goodness we got JB recaps to help ^^
Watching this for the eye candy..not much expectations. I hope it will be a pleasant surprise
Yonsama and his mini-me Kim Hyun-joong together at last! Just wanted to put it out there. kekeke.
Anyways, seems to me that Taecyeon, Eunjung, and Kim Soo-hyun are the leads of this drama. And I love IU but, which one is she again? For some reason, I have a hard time remembering her face.
I dont … want to watch this.
1. it makes me really jealous. i love all the guys (and IU, and Eunjung) but not Suzy. And it also doesnt help that her character description is snobby.
2. WHERE ARE THE REAL ACTORS?
3. I think this is called…MARKETING.
Well,nobody asks you to watch
KHJ, get well soon! This tiger has gotten plenty of injuries and unwell issues this Tiger Year. I hope he tries to stay out of trouble for the rest of this lunar year.
I’m a huge kpop fan but I am not excited about this drama for the exact reasons stated. Idols are good entertainers but as actors? No. I would rather see fresh faces of unknown and underrated actors and actresses than idols. Idols in dramas are nothing but marketing schemes. None of them are serious and passionate about acting as a career because they won’t devote to it. Its just another variety skill.
Taecyeon? Oh boo!
IU!!!!!!!!!!! i’m so exited!! It’s first debut actually! YEAAAAAAY can’t stop cheering!!
I KNOW~!!! xD
i LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE her songs and albums!
her voice is amazing….!
i was planning to watch dream high, but not that excited….
UNTIL IU WAS MENTIONED!!!
xD
my favorite song from her: This Is Awkward (: